This year’s show is shaping up to be a great one

With only three weeks left until showtime, JCK Las Vegas 2016 is ramping up to be one exciting show. The hardworking team at JCK Events has just released a list of very compelling reasons why no one is going to want to miss this event—and if you haven’t made plans to attend, I’m guessing you will start packing your suitcase after reading the top five below.

1. Increased attendance. Buyer registration is up across the board for JCK this year, with more than 23,000 of them estimated to attend. And those are just the buyers!

2. Impressive list of jewelry designers and brands. JCK is welcoming a roster of powerhouse names to both LUXURY and JCK Las Vegas this year, including the incomparable Erica Courtney, Clara Williams, and Saint Honore Paris, and expanded show floor presences the likes of Swarovski, Stuller, and Rio Tinto. This in addition to the even bigger LUXURY show space and exhibitor lineup—including Prestige—and the new LUXURY Watch, which will welcome fine brands such as Bremont, Carl F. Bucherer, Frederique Constant, Movado, and others. And to top it all off, the always-exciting roster of JCK Rising Stars awaits discovery in JCK’s Design Center, featuring 21 names (more than double any previous year), and a cool Kickstarter area where design students can show off (and dazzle). For the entire show lineup, visit here.

3. New buyer-friendly floor plan. The newly refreshed floor plan, featuring neatly designated “neighborhoods” promises to make it easier than ever before for attendees to shop. In addition, the new main entrance from the Mandalay Bay Convention Center parking lot—complete with shuttle bus drop-off area—makes getting where you need to go a piece of cake.

4. Can’t-miss speakers and panelists. Revered editors and tastemakers of the industry are featured for a series of talks and panel discussions this year, including editors from Glamour,  The Zoe Report, OliviaPalermo.com, and jewelry blog Gemologue. Hollywood costume designers Lyn Paolo of ABC’s Scandal, Lauren Bott of Fox’s Scream Queens, and Ann Foley of ABC’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. will also be there to entertain, enlighten, and empower audiences. The 2016 JCK Talks series, beginning June 2, will tackle educational topics including “Lab-Grown Diamonds: Threat or Opportunity (or Both?)” with a panel composed of Stuller’s Stanley Zale, Gabriel & Co.’s Jack Gabriel, Diamond Foundry‘s Maarten de Witte, GIA‘s Dr. James Shigley, and Diamond Producers Association’s Jean-Marc Lieberherr. On June 5, The NPD Group‘s chief industry analyst Marshal Cohen will discuss “Diamond Dynamics and the Consumer Experience.” For the complete JCK Talks schedule, visit here.

5. Events to remember. Would it be JCK Las Vegas without a list of memorable events? Certainly not. This year’s itinerary boasts a star-studded welcome party and fashion show hosted by Tous and the Evening of Design, a fashion fete honoring the talents of the Design Center, and the event to end all events, JCK Rocks the Beach. This year, everyone’s favorite sandy concert soiree will be brought to life by the sounds of Train, the San Franisco band responsible for getting songs like “Marry Me” and “50 Ways to Say Goodbye” stuck in your head. For the full JCK Las Vegas events schedule, visit here.

JCK Las Vegas will take place at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino June 3–6, LUXURY by JCK will begin on May 31 as invitation-only and will open to all on June 3. For more information on show dates, schedules, and for the full exhibitor lineup, visit lasvegas.jckonline.com and luxury.jckonline.com.

Top: Erica Courtney Orchid ring in 18k gold with 2.15 ct. fire opal and 0.68 ct. t.w. diamonds; $12,000

Brittany Siminitz

JCK Contributing Editor